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Inside the historic Fairmount Water Works alongside the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, artist Martha McDonald is set to perform original songs that lament on the history of the Schuylkill River.
The performance is part of “Currents,” a new art exhibit at the Fairmount Water Works that pays homage to the life stages of the river.
The exhibit features multimedia installations created by 10 local artists that bring to life the once-obscure underground corridors of the water system that’s now a National Historical Landmark.
Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the exhibit reflects on the past, present and future of the Fairmount Water Works and the Schuylkill River.
“We’re hoping that visitors will see this as an opportunity to view the Water Works with new eyes, to let artists give them their vision and then through that vision find different ways of interpreting this wonderful destination,” said Leslie Kaufman, one of the curators of the exhibit, which is on display through Aug. 8.
Musician Martha McDonald plays the glass armonica, a reproduction of the instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin. (Zoë Read/WHYY)
In a video installation, McDonald plays the glass armonica, a reproduction of the instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin. The instrument produces ethereal tones as McDonald glides her fingers on the wet glass as she sings original folk songs.
“I was really interested in trying to figure out a way to make sound and music with water, because we’re in the Water Works, where water used to flow through this building,” she said.
On certain dates, McDonald will perform in the former Kelly Natatorium pool, a now-empty concrete pit in the building.
Fairmount Water Works was established in 1815 as the first large-scale municipal water system in the U.S. After it was decommissioned in 1909, it was used as an aquarium, and later as a pool. Today, the grey stone and concrete structure, dimly lit by a row of arched windows, serves as an educational center and research hub.
As part of the new exhibit, a video installation of 3D animation and original footage is temporarily the backdrop of the site’s former pool. The piece, created by Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib, depicts the Schuylkill River as a timeline across 250 years. Objects, from historical artifacts to microscopic life and fish, float across three screens.
A video installation by Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib depicts the Schuylkill River as a timeline across 250 years. (Zoë Read/WHYY)
The Schuylkill was polluted with millions of tons of coal waste in the 1800s and early 20th century, and by the 1940s, the waterway was considered the dirtiest in the United States.
Significant cleanup efforts began in the mid-20th century, and though the Schuylkill continues to face environmental challenges, there are signs of progress. Today, the return of beavers and otters has become an emblem of the river’s recovery.